Newsflash! The Olympics Does Not Hand Out Participation Medals!

A first time Olympian, Tyler Clary ripped Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps in an interview with Jim Alexander of the Press Enterprise (Riverside, CA) saying, "The fact that [Phelps] doesn't have to work as hard to get that done, it's a real shame. I think it's too bad. You see that all too often, where you get athletes that are incredibly talented that really take it for granted.”

Clary continued, "Basically, he was a swimmer that didn't want to be [at practice.] They can talk about all of these goals and plans and preparation they have. I saw it. I know. It's different. And I saw somebody that has basically been asking to get beat for the longest time."

Is this clown kidding me? Phelps broke the nearly unbreakable record of Mark Spitz, scoring 8 Golds in the last Olympics. Phelps has EARNED 54 medals in international competition…medals covered in GOLD, and this guy is whining that because Phelps is more talented and doesn’t have to work as hard, that he somehow didn’t earn what he’s won?!

Phelps crushed…yes crushed Clary by 1.5 seconds in the 200 Fly at the recent U.S. Olympic Trials…1.5 seconds is a lifetime in swimming. Clary harbors bitterness and jealousy of Phelps. His best international finishes; 400 IM silver medals at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships, were really made possible because Phelps chose not to swim those events. Phelps made his 400 IM return at trials and Clary got kicked down a step to third place and summarily off the Olympic team for the event.

I think it may go a bit deeper and trace its roots to the ridiculous mindset that we have created in this country where we try to level the playing field. We can’t keep score, because little Johnny will come to the realization that he’s just not as good has little Jimmy! After all…Johnny works hard and deserves a participation medal! And we wouldn’t want the kids to know the difference, so they should all be the same color!

Here’s a newsflash for Mr. Clary; Michael Phelps is flat out better than you! Get over it! You are on the U.S. Olympic team, so it’s likely that you’re a whole lot better at swimming than a whole lot of folks…you don’t hear them whining, do you? So STFU, because the Olympics doesn’t hand out participation medals!

Mark Titus- Don’t Put Me in Coach (Doubleday)

How can I best describe Don’t Put me in Coach?

Don’t Put me in Coach is Rudy for the South Park Generation…or A Season on the Brink with Beavis and Butthead. That’s close, but this book lacks the hero who works hard to overcome adversity and achieve his dream of playing a division 1 college sport and while there is references to occasional fisticuffs, no chairs were thrown by any crazed coaches.

The books parenthetical title sums it up; My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench. Hardly inspirational stuff, though the so-called millennial generation may find Mark Titus’ success as a smart-ass blogger who chronicled his time as a walk on bench jockey at Ohio State amusing.

Clearly the goal of the book was not for Titus to wax poetically about the beauty of sport and the dedicated athletes who work hard to pursue championships as way to many blowhard sports writers have done over the years. Titus doesn’t spend a whole lot of time or ink worrying about trying to preserve relationships with his teammates; more often than not he set about trashing and bad mouthing the guys he played with.

It’s pretty clear that Titus was handed the golden ticket and his goal wasn’t to hone his game and crack the lineup, but to see exactly how far he could push the envelope or maybe the better analogy is, how hard he could push before his finger broke through the toilet paper.

Don’t Put Me In Coach ends up being a chronicle of a dysfunctional sports family…imagine your family’s Thanksgiving dinner, but with a bunch a really tall guys who spend way too much time together. There’s bound to be some laughs, someone is gonna get hurt and it’s no surprise when someone snaps and comes to blows.

As goofy as some of the stories are, they do ring true. That, and having crossed paths with him during my couple year stint working in the NBA Development League, I totally believe Titus’ story about his short time roommate Ivan Harris. But you’ll have to pick up the book to get the details!